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John E. Kochenburger

Trial Court · Larimer · Larimer

Meets Standards(Retain)3 cycles on record

Evaluation history

  • 1998 retention cycle
    Trial Court · Larimer · Larimer
    Meets Standards(Retain)
    Retention Year: 1998 Recommendation: Retain The Eighth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge John E. Kochenburger BE RETAINED. The decision was not unanimous. Judge Kochenburger was appointed as Larimer County Judge in 1984 following private practice in the Fort Collins/Loveland area for more than 26 years. Prior to his appointment, he served 9 months as a domestic relations referee. His court handles civil proceedings for amounts under $10,000, traffic violations and misdemeanors. He is currently assigned to the Loveland division after 13 years in the Fort Collins branch. In 1997 there were 5,733 cases assigned to Judge Kochenburger of which 28% were civil and the balance criminal or traffic cases. Judge Kochenburger's decisions were not reversed in any of the ten cases appealed between 1996 and 1998. He has been active in the computerization of legal research in the County Courts and planning for the new Loveland Courthouse. Law enforcement personnel responded positively to 19 of 23 questions regarding performance, fairness, diligence and sentencing. Jurors questioned were unanimously favorable. Attorneys ranked the Judge above 50% on only 12 of 33 questions. Concerns were noted in the areas of judicial demeanor, economic status fairness, bias from personal background, clearness of communications, patience, correctness of legal decisions, sentencing mitigation consideration, fear of public criticism and influence from non-court communications. Written comments reflected the concerns shown in the attorneys' response but also contained high praise for sensitivity to the people who appear before the judge. Prior commissions commented on the appearance of gender bias and courtroom demeanor. The judge was interviewed by the Commission. The Commission finds these concerns are being adequately addressed. Written evaluations were requested from a random sample of attorneys, court employees, law enforcement personnel, jurors, litigants, crime victims and other constituents who have been involved in proceedings in the judge's court. Surveys were designed and results compiled by an independent agency to provide confidentiality. Results from crime victims and litigants were unreliable due to insufficient responses. Law enforcement personnel retention/non-retention recommendations were not provided. Court personnel responses were insufficient for analysis. Jurors recommended retention by 100% and non-retention by 0%. Lawyers recommended retention by 61.5% and non-retention by 38.5%. Retention is recommended in recognition of the judge's contributions to the community, renewed energy, interest, and vigor following the assignment to Loveland, CO.
  • 1994 retention cycle
    Trial Court · Larimer · Larimer
    Meets Standards(Retain)
    Retention Year: 1994 Recommendation: Retain Judge Kochenburger was appointed to the county court bench in 1984, following nine months as District Court Referee/Juvenile Commissioner. Before that, beginning in 1957, he was in private practice of law in Larimer County. Judge Kochenburger served in the U.S. Army from 1955 through 1957. Judge Kochenburger presides over general county court cases including civil, traffic, and misdemeanor criminal cases. Through individual effort and study of the use of computers, Judge Kochenburger is recognized to have significantly enhanced the efficiency of County Court filings. Cases assigned to his court can get to trial within 60 days. Based on surveys of attorneys (165 responding) Judge Kochenburger was given 80% or greater approval for Sense of Justice, Knowledge of Law, Evidence and Procedure, Clarity of Decisions, Courtroom Control, Diligent Work Ethic, and Promptness. He was rated very high in these same categories by litigants, jurors, courtroom personnel and law enforcement personnel. Some attorneys responding to our survey gave Judge Kochenburger low ratings citing inappropriate demeanor and lack of courtesy. Critical comments from those attorneys included complaints that Judge Kochenburger is unpredictable, demeaning and insensitive to issues of bias; on the other hand, 69.7% of the attorneys did vote for retention. The judge received superior ratings from the smaller number of responding litigants, jurors, courtroom personnel and law enforcement personnel who apparently did not share the attorneys’ criticism. Based on our evaluation, the Commission believes Judge Kochenburger is known to bring common sense solutions to the cases before him, with a sense of humor that appears to be appreciated by some and not by others. The Eighth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance recommends that Judge Kochenburger BE RETAINED.
  • 1990 retention cycle
    Trial Court · Larimer · Larimer
    Meets Standards(Retain)
    Retention Year: 1990 Recommendation: Retain Judicial Performance Commission’s recommendation: Should Be Retained. Judge Kochenburger obtained his law degree from University of Colorado and was admitted to the bar in 1955. After serving in the United States Army, he was involved in private practice of law in Fort Collins from 1957 to 1983, when he was appointed District Court referee and juvenile commissioner. In 1984, he was appointed County Court judge for Larimer County. Judge Kochenburger’s responsibilities include traffic cases, misdemeanors, and civil cases with a jurisdiction up to $5,000. He handles one-half of all County Court cases in Fort Collins, which is approximately 6,000 cases per year. All groups surveyed rated Judge Kochenburger substantially above average.

Surveys & reports

No survey reports on record for this judge.

Sources